Man found safe after mass search of popular creek of Cedar Creek

A man heard yelling for help before he disappeared during a night swim near a popular swimming spot northwest of Brisbane has been found safe.

The man went missing while swimming at Cedar Creek.

A man missing at the base of a mountain walked from bushland and straight to waiting emergency services after he spent a night in the elements following a late night swim with mates.

The 29-year-old Aspley man went missing while swimming with two women in the vicinity of Cedar Creek, at the base of Mt Glorious about 8pm Wednesday.

It has since been revealed the man, who may have been drinking, passed out after a fall and a knock to his head.

While unconscious, a large-scale search operation was getting under way.

“Through the night he has slipped over and bumped his head and passed out, so that’s why he was unresponsive to us when we were here last night,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Inspector Cam Thomas said.

A search party of 28 QFES personnel and a further six members of the SES went out in search of the man after his friends reported him missing.

PolAir and other police crews also joined the search before it was scaled back about 11.30pm due to wet conditions.

Search efforts resumed at first light on Thursday and emergency crews were surprised when the man emerged from bushland about 7am.

“They could hear him, but couldn’t get to him, with the echo through the mountains,” Insp Thomas said. “He actually just walked out at about 7.15am.”

Insp Thomas said the man was “pretty beaten up,” and had “a lot of scratches.”

“(He was) very thirsty, spent all night out here, so he would have been nice and cold.

“(But it’s) a fantastic result for him.”

Insp Thomas said the incident served as a timely reminder for adventurers to “watch their footing and mind their trips and slips,” as water will be flowing quicker than normal due to heavy rainfall.